This invention generally relates to vehicle servicing devices and more specifically to mobile trailers for hoisting automobiles to heights where access may be gained from beneath the automobiles for servicing purposes.
It is often desirable and sometimes necessary to service a vehicle at a location remote from a conventional service garage, automotive shop, gasoline station, etc. This is generally not practical or possible to achieve, however, because the special machines, equipment, accessories, etc. needed to perform the automotive services cannot be readily transported to remote sites.
When in addition the servicing requires access from beneath the automtobile then the problem is even more acute, since ordinarily there is not any work pit, mechanical lift or elevated structure available.
While there are many types of repair work and installations that can be accomplished by reaching up into the undersides of an automobile, one particular kind involves either installing or repairing or otherwise servicing conventional automobile mufflers and exhaust systems.
Mobile frameworks for carrying or elevating automobiles are known and they are acceptable for some limited purposes.
A slightly portable automobile lift with a collapsible framework supported on casters is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,369,194 to Sarver (1921). A constantly maintained horizontal support framework can be expanded by a crank and pulley mechanism that is generally complicated, unreliable and time-consuming to operate. A trailer mounting a rigid framework for servicing the undersides of a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,818 to Teagarden. The rigid framework rocks from one tilted position to another as the center of gravity of an automobile being driven overhead crosses the trailer wheels. The height of tracks on top of the rigid frame is fixed and cannot be lowered for travel conditions.